In its latest bulletin published this Thursday, Public Health France indicates that the flu continues to progress throughout the territory, unlike bronchiolitis and Covid-19.
Public Health France is categorical, “in France, the flu epidemic is intensifying”. In its latest situation update published this Thursday, January 2, the health agency indicates that “all flu indicators were still rising sharply in all age groups” during the last week of December 2024.
In mainland France, no region is spared since all are in the epidemic phase. Overseas regions are also affected since “Martinique is in an epidemic, Guadeloupe and Guyana in a pre-epidemic.”
Hospitalizations of the elderly on the rise
“Children under 15 were the most affected in town and in hospital,” specifies Public Health France.
“Compared to the five previous epidemics, the level of intensity at the hospital increased this week from moderate to high for all ages combined and to a very high level among those under 15,” explains the health agency.
Those aged 65 and over are the age group most affected by hospitalization and “represented 64% of hospitalizations after going to the emergency room for flu/flu-like illness” during the last week of December, an increase of 95% compared to the previous week.
“The positivity rate was sharply increasing in town and in hospitals,” Public Health France also develops in its description of the progression of the flu in France. The health organization reminds “that it is essential to recommend vaccination to all eligible people, in order to protect them and those around them.”
Pharmacy unions point to an acceleration of vaccination, allowing to make up for the delay at the start of winter. “We have two arms, there can be one [vaccin] for Covid, the other for the flu. This allows us to have a prevention strategy,” recalled the Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin, in mid-December.
Concerning bronchiolitis, the health agency notes “a decrease in the majority of indicators” even if eleven regions of France are still in the epidemic stage. For Covid-19, Public Health France points to “generally stable activity at low levels.”
